Love is never trivial but there is plenty of Valentine's Day Trivia.

Wear Your Heart on Your Sleeve: In the Middle Ages, young men and women would draw names from a bowl to see who their "Valentine" would be. They would pin the name to their sleeve for a week, which is where the famous idiom comes from.

The First Box of Chocolates: Richard Cadbury produced the first heart-shaped box of chocolates for Valentine's Day in 1868

Letters to Juliet: Every year, the city of Verona, Italy (where Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet was set), receives about 1,000 letters addressed to Juliet on Valentine's Day.

Vinegar Valentines: In the Victorian era, people who didn't want a suitor's attention would send "Vinegar Valentines"—anonymous, insulting cards meant to discourage the admirer.

A Treat for Pets: People love their animals! In the U.S. alone, pet owners spend over $2 billion on Valentine's gifts for their dogs, cats, and other pets.

The "X" in XOXO: The use of "X" to represent a kiss dates back to the Middle Ages. People who couldn't write signed documents with an X and then kissed the mark to show their sincerity.

Teachers Get the Most Love: In terms of card volume, teachers receive the most Valentine’s cards, followed by children, mothers, and wives.

The Telephone Connection: Alexander Graham Bell applied for his patent for the telephone on Valentine’s Day in 1876.

Conversation Hearts: These iconic candies started as medicinal lozenges! The machine used to make them was originally designed to create apothecary wafers.

Statehood Birthdays: Both Arizona (1912) and Oregon (1859) were admitted to the Union on Valentine’s Day.

Philippines Mass Weddings: Valentine’s Day is the most popular day for "Mass Weddings" in the Philippines, where hundreds of couples gather in public spaces to say "I do" simultaneously, often sponsored by the government.

Ghana’s National Chocolate Day: To promote their cocoa industry, Ghana renamed February 14th "National Chocolate Day" in 2007.

The First Valentine: The oldest known Valentine's message was a poem written in 1415 by Charles, Duke of Orleans, to his wife while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London.

King Henry VIII’s Decree: In 1537, King Henry VIII of England officially declared February 14th as the holiday of St. Valentine's Day.

The "Mother of the Valentine": Esther Howland, a 19th-century American artist, is credited with mass-producing the first lacey, elaborate Valentine's cards in the U.S., turning it into a major industry.

Women Buy More: About 85% of all Valentine’s cards are purchased by women, though men typically spend significantly more on the holiday overall.

The Billion Card Mark: Approximately 1 billion Valentine’s Day cards are exchanged globally each year, making it the second most popular card-sending holiday after Christmas.

Groundhog Day Connection: Before it was moved to February 2nd, Groundhog Day was originally observed on February 14th in some cultures!

Second place in proposal dates:  Valentine's Day comes in second to Christmas for popular holidays to propose.

Chocolate as Medicine: In the 1800s, doctors frequently advised heartbroken patients to eat chocolate to "calm their pining" for lost love.

The Heart Symbol: Before the 14th century, the "heart" shape was actually considered the anatomical center of memory, not just romance.

Conversation Heart Longevity: These chalky candies have a shelf life of nearly five years! (Though most are eaten much sooner).

Cupid’s Greek Alter-Ego: The Roman "Cupid" is based on the Greek god "Eros," who was originally depicted as a handsome, immortal man, not the chubby baby we see on cards today.

The Red Rose Preference: Red roses are the favorite of Venus, the Roman goddess of love, which is why they became the universal symbol for passion.

Sweets for the Sweet: This famous phrase was actually written by William Shakespeare in the play Hamlet.